Tahoe South Press Releases

Warrior Open Champion Sgt. Maj. Rodney Gorman Earns Featured Spot in American Century Championship at Tahoe

Date: April 30, 2015

Warrior Open Champion Sgt. Maj. Rodney Gorman Earns Featured Spot in American Century Championship at Tahoe.
The American Century Championship in Lake Tahoe will add another United States Army veteran and hero to the 2015 competition this July. Retired United States Army Sergeant Major Rodney Gorman will join the field by virtue of his victory in the 2014 George W. Bush Presidential Center’s Warrior Open.

A Gulf War veteran who has also experienced multiple deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq, Sgt. Maj. Gorman is a highly-decorated soldier who now trains Special Operations Forces for the Department of Defense.

Following the successful debut of three-time Warrior Open Champion Corporal Chad Pfeifer in last year’s American Century Championship, tournament title sponsor American Century Investments has decided to invite the winner of the Warrior Open on an annual basis in tribute to America’s Armed Forces.

With network television exposure (NBC Sports, NBCSN, Golf Channel) and a purse of $625,000, the American Century Championship is the most prestigious celebrity tournament in golf. The 54-hole competition includes current and former professional athletes, entertainers and politicians, including Aaron Rodgers, Larry the Cable Guy, Charles Barkley and John Elway.

At the Warrior Open, Gorman shot 145 in 36 holes over two days, and finished two strokes in front of Pfeifer, the three-time defending champion.

Shortly after graduating from Cut Bank High School in Cut Bank, MT in 1983, Gorman joined the Army. He was deployed to the Gulf War in 1991 and in April 1992, Gorman was selected to serve for a unit within the USASOC (United States Army Special Operations Command). In addition to his service in the Gulf War, Gorman has been deployed to the Persian Gulf, Somalia, Bosnia and completed numerous deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq. Now 49, Gorman received multiple injuries, most significantly his right forearm and hand where he took enemy fire. He is a resident of Southern Pines, NC where he lives with his wife, Michelle, and their two sons, Scott and Travis.

At this year’s American Century Championship, Gorman will join Pfeifer, the retired United States Army Corporal who lost his left leg to an IED explosion in Iraq in 2007. Pfeifer led the American Century Championship after the first round in his debut last summer and went on to finish fifth overall. Pfeifer participated in Golf Channel’s Big Break reality competition series this year, finishing sixth, and is continuing his push to become the first amputee to compete on the PGA Tour – he competed in the Humana Challenge and Honda Classic Pro-Ams this year. The 2011 National Amputee Tournament champion calls the Golf Club of Estrella in Goodyear (suburban Phoenix), AZ his home course. Pfeifer and his wife, Summer, currently reside in Goodyear with their two children, Grady and Lucien.

“We owe a debt of gratitude to the U.S. service members who volunteer to serve and are willing to make the ultimate sacrifice to defend our country and protect the many liberties we cherish,” said Jonathan Thomas, American Century Investments president and chief executive officer. “Partnering with the George W. Bush Institute to make the Warrior Open a feeder tournament for the American Century Championship is our way of saying ‘thank you’ to our brave military veterans.”

Reflecting that commitment, the American Century Championship will once again offer complimentary tickets for all U.S. military when the event tees off July 14-19, 2015 at Edgewood Tahoe.

All active duty, reservists, National Guard and veterans can receive two complimentary tickets per day, including one for a guest at the 26th annual tournament. All service men and women who would like to attend can apply by going to https://verify.sheerid.com/americancenturychampionship2015/ to redeem the special offer. Participants must show photo ID along with the ticket voucher at tournament gates to receive the complimentary ticket(s).

The American Century Championship has a history of promoting and fundraising for military and first responder causes. In 2002, following the terrorist attacks of September 11, three New York City firemen who had worked tirelessly at Ground Zero were added to the celebrity field and the tournament raised over $150,000 for the Uniformed Firefighters Scholarship Fund to aid the children of those lost in that tragedy. In 2003-4 Mark Cuban’s Fallen Patriot Fund was the tournament’s charity beneficiary and $1.5 million was raised to aid military veterans with extraordinary needs upon returning home from fighting for America’s freedom.

Tournament title sponsor American Century Investments, is a leading, privately-controlled investment management firm serving investment professionals, institutions, corporations and individuals. Through its ownership structure, more than 40 percent of company profits support the Stowers Institute for Medical Research, an innovative biomedical research organization committed to finding cures for cancer and other gene-based diseases. Since 2000, more than $1 billion in dividends have been distributed to the Stowers Institute. The Stowers Institute is also the official charity of the 2015 American Century Championship.

More than 80 famous sports legends and entertainment celebrities will tee it up at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course in pursuit of the $125,000 winner’s share of the $625,000 purse. The player’s list for this year’s American Century Championship will be announced May 7, 2015 at www.tahoecelebritygolf.com.

Designated the “America’s Best Lake” by USA TODAY readers (2012), Tahoe South combines the distinctive appeal of two worlds: spectacular natural beauty and a modern tourism destination with an array of outdoor recreation, entertainment, nightlife and gaming. Tahoe’s timeless splendor and an emerging economic diversity toward health and wellness, green business practices and sustainability continue to define its inimitable personality. For information about lodging, recreation and family packages at Tahoe South, call 1-800-288-2463 or log onto www.TahoeSouth.com.

About American Century InvestmentsTournament title sponsor American Century Investments, is a leading, privately-controlled investment management firm serving professionals, institutions, corporations and individuals since 1958. Through its ownership structure, more than 40 percent of company profits support research to help find cures for genetically-based diseases including cancer, diabetes and dementia. Since 2000, nearly $1 billion have been directed toward lifesaving research.